Qayyum al-Asma' Sura 93: Chapter of the Bees:
A commentary on the Sura of Joseph, "The Best of Stories"

translated by Todd Lawson.
originally written as "Qayyum al-Asma 93: Surat al-nahl".

Translator's note: Passages in caps are direct and exact quotations
from the Quran. The Bab entitled this chapter of His work the Chapter of
the Bees (surat al-nahl). Much of the Quranic material in this sura is from
the Quranic sura of the same name (16). The main focus is to explain verse
93 of the Quranic Sura of Joseph (12), but by weaving material from Q.16
into his commentary the Bab also illuminates the other relevant verses
from Quran. It is important to recognize that the Bab saw the religious act
of interpretation as endless and that each verse, word or even letter of
the holy scripture has infinite meaning. Suffice it too say here that the
Qayyum al-asma is a beautifully complex and powerful composition. It is
uniquely innovative in its construction, highly musical both phonically and
in the way it intones symbols and themes familiar to its first readers. It
was presented by the Bab, and recognized by His earliest followers, as a
new Quran, an act whose explicitness and boldness is without precedent in
Islamic history. The translation offered below is simply an attempt -
doomed from the outset to fail - to make more widely known something of
the luminous gift and virtuosity of the Author.

Translation

1. IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE

2. GO, TAKE THIS SHIRT AND DO YOU CAST IT ON MY FATHER'S FACE, AND HE
SHALL RECOVER HIS SIGHT; THEN BRING ME YOUR FAMILY ALL TOGETHER.

3. KAF HA' 'AYN

4. Indeed, WE REVEALED UNTO THE BEES, SAYING: "TAKE FROM THE
MOUNTAINS citadels-the abode for affirming the sanctity of God-the sign
of this luminous one, AND OF TREES, places for affirming that there is no
god but God the sign of this Easterner AND OF WHAT THEY ARE BUILDING in
the path of affirming the unity of God the threadbare garment of this
Westerner belonging to God, the Exalted. And He is God, Witness over all
things.[1]

5. THEN EAT OF ALL MANNER OF divine allusions MADE SMOOTH in the path
of the Remembrance, this Gate. THERE COMES FORTH FROM THEIR BELLIES
the water of the elixir which is one in terms of its blessings, although it
is OF DIVERSE HUES WHEREIN IS HEALING FOR believers. Verily God is
Powerful over all things.

6. God is the creator of everything through His power. And God, in very
truth, is Apprised of everything which men do.

7. O believers! Fear God concerning this most great word protected in the
divine fire. Indeed he is, in very truth, accounted by God the Exalted as a
witness.

8. O people of the veils! Hearken to the call of God from the tongue of the
most great Remembrance. VERILY, VERILY I AM GOD. THERE IS NO GOD BUT
HIM! Indeed, the likeness of the Remembrance is as gold softened in fire
which flows in rivulets to all the hidden places by the will of God, the
Exalted. And he is God-Mighty, Ancient.

9. O people of the Throne! Hearken to my call from the precincts of the
tomb from the tongue of this Tree that grows on the exalted Sinai, and
which is covered with golden holy leaves: VERILY, VERILY I AM GOD, THERE
IS NO GOD BUT HIM! There is no soul who has suffered anything in the path
of the Remembrance, whether through warfare or loss of wealth, but that
we have written down for him the Gardens of Eden and Ridwan in truth.
Verily God is Powerful over all things.

10. Indeed, we have power to move the earth in this HOUR by the order of
the Remembrance, and could, in truth, hold it aloft by means of the
supplication from himself. Otherwise, the earth with its people would, in
very truth, burn completely. And He is God, Powerful over all things.

11. And verily GOD HAS PREFERRED SOME OF YOU OVER OTHERS with
knowledge of the Remembrance. WHAT, AND DO YOU DENY GOD'S BLESSING
by lying? Indeed he is the truth from God which, in very truth, is now
fulfilled.

12. GOD HAS APPOINTED FOR YOU OF YOURSELVES WIVES in truth. And GOD
HAS ORDAINED that the women who are believers be as leaves on the lote-
trees in the precincts of the Gate. And God is Knower of all things.

13. O believers! Fear God and never say anything but the truth concerning
the glorious Mystery of God, the Unfastener, in the precincts of that which
is (forever) unfastened. For God has imposed upon the people of the Cloud
the veil of faithfulness. And God is Witness over all things.

14. O Solace of the Eye! Speak the melody of the beloved from the Throne
and clothe the words with the shirt of divine breezes. Indeed, God desires
that your proclamation concerning this Red Dove be not naked. And God is
your Preserver.

15. O concourse of the lights! Hear my call from the precincts of the point
of water at the center of the dust! God! There is no God but Him, the Lord
of all worlds. And He is God, Mighty, Wise.

16. Verily, verily I am the fire from the precincts of Sinai, and I speak the
truth, and am praiseworthy.

17. Verily, verily I am the light above Sinai - raised.

18. Verily, verily I am the crimson point revolving around God, its creator.
And I am in truth beloved.

19. Verily, verily I am the sapling - the glory with the most great truth,
and am the goal at the head of the source of the ruby stream that flows
upon Sinai.

20. Verily, verily I am the splendour - the praise; none but the Praise
itself, being single and unique, perceives the splendour.

21. O people of the earth! Praised be God, the Truth! Verily God HAS MADE
the mystery of this Gate profound.

22. To describe him in Arabic: He is comely - as is witnessed.

23. Indeed, in these verses are SIMILITUDES for THOSE POSSESSED OF
MINDS those who, in the precincts of the Gate, are in very truth,
prostrating.

24. WHAT, DO YOU WORSHIP ONE BESIDES GOD WHO POSSESSES nothing,
WHILE SOVEREIGNTY IS GOD'S, the Exalted both before and after; in the
MOTHER BOOK, it is all written about the matter of the Gate.[2]

25. SO STRIKE NOT ANY SIMILITUDES FOR GOD. He is the truth. LIKE UNTO
HIM THERE IS NAUGHT.. And He is God, Mighty, Wise.

26. GOD HAS STRUCK A SIMILITUDE concerning TWO MEN, ONE OF THEM
standing upon the divine cause COMMANDING JUSTICE and good deeds; and
the other standing over Hell, summoned by the Fire to the Fire. And both of
these two are upon the truth, if you confess even one letter of the book.
AND YOUR LORD IS THE MERCIFUL ONE AND AWARE OF WHAT YOU DO.

27. Today God has written for his servant a reward - indeed!--from a line
of the leaf of the white scroll. God is Knower of all things.

28. And [has written for] THE SERVANT WHO DOES WELL TWO GARDENS
according to the True Line. And for the bearer of the goblet of water--a
goblet of the pure river of Kawthar. And God is Witness over all things.

29. And with GOD BELONGS THE UNSEEN. All unseen things are visible to
the Truth. And God ordained ONLY THAT THE CAUSE of the Remembrance BE
CLOSEST to the divine CAUSE. And He is God, Powerful over all things.

30. And we have BROUGHT YOU FORTH FROM THE WOMBS to aid the Truth
during the day of the Remembrance. And we have GIVEN YOU HEARING, AND
SIGHT, AND HEARTS SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE GRATEFUL, FOR the truth of the
Remembrance concerning the STRAIGHT BALANCE, straight.

31. And we have made THE BIRDS OBEDIENT IN THE AIR OF HEAVEN. Is there
any but God who HOLDS THEM ALOFT in truth? Verily God is Witness over
all things.

32. O PLACE WHERE THE DAWN APPEARS! Mention the name of your Lord, He
other than whom there is no god. He is Exalted, Wise.

33. O Hour of the Dawn! Mention, BEFORE THE RISING OF THE SUN from the
place where the Gate appears, that the day which belongs to God is CLOSER
THAN A TWINKLING OF THE EYE. And the judgment has already been
ordained in the MOTHER BOOK.

34. O people of the earth! Listen to the call of this upright soul in the AIR
of the cloud: "Praised be God, He who has taught me in this Gate the path
of those who affirm divine unity, a just word. And that is from the bounty
of God to me. And He is Self-sufficient above all the worlds."

35. O people of `Arafat! Be firm in the precincts of the straight one and
listen to my call concerning this blood-stained shirt that has been rent
with 4,000 darts of the people of unbelief from among my servants.
"Verily, verily I am the one slain at the two slaughterings/rivers. Verily,
verily I am the one slaughtered by the two swords, and verily, verily, I
have been flung down upon the two earths, and verily, verily, I speak in the
two stations: "There is no god but God alone, there is no god but Him.
Exalted is God, the Lofty, He other than whom there is no god." And He is
God, Mighty, Wise.

36. Verily God has INSPIRED me through a single thread of that SHIRT
stained with pure blood with: VERILY, VERILY, I AM GOD, THERE IS NONE
OTHER GOD BUT ME.

37. "O people of Paradise! GO WITH MY SHIRT - the sign of this most great
Remembrance - AND CAST IT UPON THE FACE OF the Proof, your Imam so
that he might look to you through your EYES and that today, if God wills,
your sight concerning this Gate who is upon the truth and with the truth
will be sharp.

38. O Solace of the Eye! Say: "Verily, verily I AM THE HOUR. HOW IS IT THEN
THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT THE HOUR, IN VERY TRUTH, IS NEAR
ACCORDING TO THE MOTHER BOOK.

39. O Solace of the Eye! Say: "Verily, verily I am the House and am with the
truth, established."

40. AND VERILY, VERILY I AM THE LAMP IN THE NICHE and am,through God
the Truth upon the truth, shining.

41. AND VERILY, VERILY I AM the Fire in the LIGHT UPON LIGHT of SINAI in
the land of felicity and am hidden in the precincts of the Fire.

42. O Solace of the Eye! Say to the believers of all the people of the earth
and the heavens: "Come to me with your people who are effaced completely
by the permission of God, the Exalted." Verily God desires your reward in
this Gate, upon the most great truth. And He is God, Knower of all
things.

Preface

The Qur'an is both the center and the circumference of the life of Islam. It is indeed difficult to imagine a more intensely read text in the literary history of the human race. The intensity of such reading may be seen to have achieved something of an apogee in the experience of `Ali Muhammad Shirazi, the young man who was born in Iran in 1819 and executed by his fellow countrymen for heresy in 1850. His first public heretical act was to compose/reveal a new Qur'an -- "the true Qur'an". It was such a literary gesture that gave rise to a new religious movement that is best known in the West as Babism or "the Babi Movement" after one of the titles adopted by Shirazi, "al-Bab", an Arabic word meaning "the door" or "the gate." In the immediate context, this title means that the author esteemed himself to be the sole point of contact between the faithful Muslims and their absent and hidden leader, the Imam. It is important to point out that the Imam in Shi`ism is recognized as a living text, the so-called speaking Qur'an, while the actual Book is referred to as the silent Qur'an. [1] In previous publications, I have drawn attention to the way such a "motif" is present in the literary compositions and life of the Bab. [2] The translation and commentary below is of one of the sections (singular "sura") of the work by which the Bab made his involvement in this phenomenon known to others. One of the results of the following exploration is the suggestion that this highly distinctive literary work be thought of as an apocalypse of separation and reunion.

This composition is known by the title Tafsir surat Yusuf (Commentary on the Sura of Joseph). It is also known as Ahsan al-Qisas (The Best of Stories) and Qayyum al-Asma' (Maintainer of the Divine Names).[3] Given that it is thus titled, those familiar with the history of Arabic literature will be lead to expect a work of scriptural exegesis that conforms more or less to a rather rigidly adhered to structure informed by a variety of traditionally held presuppositions and expectations.[4] Encountering this text by the Bab, however, will frustrate such expectations. It is no exaggeration to say that this purported exegesis has absolutely nothing in common with the formal representative works of scriptural exegesis in the Islamic tradition, apart from the nominal one found in the title. The deliberate use of the technical word tafsir (exegesis) to describe the work is a separate question unto itself. Employing it expresses the desire to maintain a link with the greater learned tradition. But it seems clear that one of the purposes for this is to break the very relationship it invokes.

This work by the Bab most certainly offers a distinctive reading -- which must be one of the functions of even the classical tradition -- of the Qur'an through its intense concern with the 12th chapter of the Qur'an, the Sura of Joseph. But how this reading is developed and presented could not really be more different and could not be imagined to deviate more from the classical tradition. In the first place, it is clear from the structure of the work that the author is introducing a new scripture or revelation by means of the Trojan horse of exegesis. So blatant is this assertion that one may well wonder why the literary fiction of tafsir had to be involved in the first place. In short, the work is structured like the Qur'an itself and divided into 111 suwar (chapters) each with 42 ayat (literally "divine portents or signs" < "holy verses"). In addition, each sura or chapter (but four in the main manuscript consulted for this discussion) is headed by some combination of mysterious disconnected letters. None of these features had until this time occurred outside of the Qur'an in Islamicate literature -- at least they had not been used together in a single work. To have done so would have indicated to the reader/audience that the author was claiming revelation, something Islamic religion holds cannot happen anymore because Muhammad was the last prophet and therefore the final revealer of God's word. There have been many instances, particularly within the Islamic mystical tradition, where this dogma has been teased and indeed violated. For example, Ibn Arabi's (d.1240) statement that his books are revelation.[5] But none of these earlier similar gestures have claimed quite so explicitly to be a new Qur'an.

Notes to Preface

See Mahmoud Ayoub, "The Speaking Quran and the Silent Quran: A Study of the Principles and the Development of Imami Shi'i tafsir," Approaches to the History of the Interpretation of the Qur'an, edited by Andrew Rippin, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988, pp.177-198. The pioneering and essential work on this topic is Henry Corbin, En Islam iranien: Aspects spirituels et philosophiques 4 vols. Paris: Gallimard, 1978, especially volume 1. For Babism see: H.M. Balyuzi, The Bab: The Herald of the Days, (Oxford: George Ronald, 1973); Abbas Amanat, Resurrection and Renewal: The Making of the Babi Movement in Iran, 1844-1850, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1989); Denis MacEoin, Sources for Early Babi History and Doctrine, (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1992); idem., Rituals in Babism and Bahá'ísm, (London: British Academic Press of I.B. Tauris/Univeristy of Cambridge Centre of Middle Eastern Studies, 1994); and idem., "The Trial of the Bab: Shi'ite Orthodoxy Confronts its Mirror Image." With four appendices. Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Bahá'í Studies, vol. 1, no. 1 (May, 1997)

See the references below, Section II, note 1, especially my "The Terms". See also the recent study of a cognate phenomenon in the Jewish tradition: Martin S. Jaffee "A Rabbinic Ontology of the Written and Spoken Word: On Discipleship, Transformative Knowledge, and the Living Texts of Oral Torah," Journal of the American Academy of Religion 65.3 (Fall 1997) 525-549.

Ahsan al-Qisas is probably a shortened version of Tafsir ahsan al-qisas (Commentary on "the Best of Stories" or "the Most Beautiful of Stories" as the epithet Best of Stories is an alternate title of the Surat Yusuf, the 12th chapter of the Qur'an and is taken from that chapter's 3rd verse: WE WILL RELATE TO THEE THE FAIREST OF STORIES IN THAT WE HAVE REVEALED TO THEE THIS QURAN, THOUGH BEFORE IT THOU WAST ONE OF THE HEEDLESS. As it happened, the change in sense brought about by the abbreviation suited the followers of the Bab, since his advent was for them the best possible story. As for the second alternate title of the work, it is somewhat more difficult to understand. Qayyum, a Quranic term meaning "the Everlasting" is one of the divine names. It is particularly pertinent to the concerns of Shi‘i messianism inasmuch as one of the many ways the expected savior is referred to is by the Arabic word al-Qa’im ("the one who arises"). Linguistically, both words share the same triliteral root. Theologically, both God, the Everlasting, and the hidden Imam, who will "arise" share the same spiritual reality. al-asma’ "names" might refer to the divine names that are already known implying, therefore in this title a reference to a reality heretofore unknown. On the other hand, "names" might be a way of referring simply to "the world of names" that is, this world below in contradistinction to the eternal immutable world of the Everlasting God. Finally, though, it is difficult to understand how this phrase can serve as a title of a text when it seems to refer to an actual being (unless this is the point). But in this instance I suspect that Qayyum al-asma’ is also an abbreviation of some kind. The actually history of the epithet Qayyum al-asma’ and therefore clues to a proper understanding of the term are not known to me. Alessandro Bausani offered Colui che s’erge sugli Attributi in his Persia Religiosa, da Zaratustra a Baha’u’llah, Milan: Il Saggiatore, 1959, p. 460. It is a matter of some comparative interest that the great Sunni Naqshbandi religious reformer, the so-called "Renewer of the Second Millenium" Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (d.1624), writing in an atmosphere charged with competing claims to religious authority amongst the Sunnis, Sufis, and Shi‘is ultimately relied upon his claim to Qayyumiya, to argue for the truth of his particular interpretation of Islam. See J.G.J ter Haar, Follower and heir of the Prophet: Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi 1564- 1624) as mystic Leiden : Het Oosters Instituut, 1992.

On the description of the genre, see the brilliant discussion by Norman Calder, "Tafsir from Tabari to Ibn Kathir: problems in the description of a genre, illustrated with reference to the story of Abraham," Approaches to the Qur'an, edited by G.R. Hawting and Abdul-Kader A. Shareef, London & New York: Routledge, 1993, pp.101-140.

2. Commentary on The Sura of the Bees, Chapter 93, Qayyum al-asma'

The Tafsir surat Yusuf, or Qayyum al-asma' is one of the more important
of the Bab's works and this for a variety of reasons. In other publications I
have described several features of the work and offered a few examples
from the text itself.[3] Out of
context, these features give but a limited picture of the work as a whole.
It was thought advisable, therefore, to present at least one full sura of
the work as a more or less typical example (surat al-nahl, #93, QA,
pp.189-91). In it are found most of the tafsir's distinguishing elements.
This chapter is divided into two parts. The first is a presentation of the
quranic, hadith and Shaykhi background of the two main symbols of the
chapter: the BEES of Qur'an 16, and the SHIRT (qamis) of Joseph. The
second part is an attempt to come to terms with the style and contents of
the work through a verse by verse commentary. It is hoped that this
translation and commentary will give an idea of the problems connected
with the study of the work, and at the same time provide at least some of
the reasons the work was so enthusiastically received.

The chapter chosen for this examination is written under Qur'an 12:93,
which contains part of Joseph's address to his brothers immediately after
their recognition of him in Egypt. The word qamis (Wehr: shirt, dress,
gown; covering, cover, wrap, envelope, jacket; (Chr.) alb, surplice, rochet;
incarnation. N.B. taqmis and taqammus = transmigration of souls,
metempsychosis) appears in the Qur'an only in sura 12, where it is
mentioned six times. First at 12:18, where Joseph's brothers are described
as having put false blood on his shirt in an attempt to deceive Jacob,
claiming that a wolf had eaten their brother. At 12:25-28, the qamis
figures prominently in the well-known episode with "the
'Aziz's"/Potiphar's wife where the guilt or innocence of Joseph is
determined by whether the shirt is torn from the front or the back.[4] Finally, for the present
discussion, the most important mention comes at 12:93 and the reference
to it in 12:96. Joseph's brothers have finally recognized him as a highly-
placed official in Egypt. After assuring his brothers that God will forgive
their past misdeeds against him, Joseph exhorts them:

idhhabu bi-qamisi hadha f'alquhu 'ala wajhi abi ya'ti
basiran wa'tuni bi-ahlikum ajma'ina: GO, TAKE THIS SHIRT, AND DO YOU
CAST IT ON MY FATHER'S FACE, AND HE SHALL RECOVER HIS SIGHT; THEN
BRING ME YOUR FAMILY ALL TOGETHER. (Qur'an translations are either from
or based upon Arberry.)

It will be recalled that Jacob, in the quranic story, lost his sight from
weeping over the loss of Joseph, as the Qur'an says: AND HIS EYES BECAME
WHITE FROM GRIEF (Qur'an 12:84). The brothers take the shirt with them on
their return to Jacob and as they cross the border from Egypt into the Holy
Land, the Qur'an, in an almost cinematic gesture, switches point of view
dramatically with a single verb from the border of Egypt to the bedside of
Jacob, languishing on his [?death] bed in his tent in the Holy Land. This
gives us the scene of Jacob in his house exclaiming at this remote
distance from the other narrative action: I DO INDEED SCENT THE PRESENCE
OF JOSEPH: NAY THINK ME NOT A DOTARD (Qur'an 12:94). Those around him
assume that Jacob is losing his mind to think that his long lost beloved
son was present: he had become senile. The Qur'an continues: THEN WHEN
THE BEARER OF THE GOOD NEWS CAME, HE CAST (THE SHIRT) OVER HIS
FACE, AND HE FORTHWITH REGAINED CLEAR SIGHT. [JACOB] SAID: "DID I NOT
SAY TO YOU , 'I KNOW FROM GOD THAT WHICH YE KNOW NOT?'" (Qur'an
12:96). This last reference is to Qur'an 12:85-6: THEY SAID: "BY GOD!
(NEVER) WILT THOU CEASE TO REMEMBER JOSEPH UNTIL THOU REACH THE
LAST EXTREMITY OF ILLNESS OR UNTIL THOU DIE!" [JACOB] SAID: "I ONLY
COMPLAIN OF MY DISTRACTION AND ANGUISH TO GOD, AND I KNOW FROM GOD
THAT WHICH YE KNOW NOT."

The symbol of the cloak may be seen to have developed out of the ancient
practice of holy men and diviners, who kept the "exterior world at a
distance" by wearing a special robe.[5] Cognates of this symbol exist in shamanism,
Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and so-called primitive religions from
the Amerindians to the South Pacific.. In the Acts of Thomas Jesus is
clothed in a "robe of light". The shirt, robe, cloak, garment, remnant
represents a cluster of images and symbols that are extremely rich in
implications: civilisation, new body, protection, knowledge, and so on.
Suras 73 & 74 al-Muzzammil "the Enwrapped", al-Muddaththir "the
Shrouded", refer in their titles to the garments or textile (< "text")
coverings either worn or used by Muhammad. His Yemeni robe later
frequently plays a role in his life. We will see below how the fabric
traditionally used to drape the Kaaba may be compared with the shirt of
Joseph. In Sufism, the khirqa is an initiatic garment bestowed upon an
aspirant at a given stage in the spiritual pedagogy. According to the
venerable Sufi handbook 'Awarif al-ma'arif by 'Umar Suhrawardi (d.1234),
this mantle or cloak is the antitype of the shirt of Joseph. He speaks also
of its heavenly origin, and mentions the qamis of Joseph (with which the
khirqa is compared) as that which protected Abraham from the fire. In
wonderfully suggestive language, Suhrawardi speaks of the relationship
thus symbolized between the Sufi master and the aspirant: "The Shaykh is
a door which God, exalted be He, opens to the threshold of His generosity.
By him [the Shaykh] he [the aspirant] enters and to Him he returns."
('Awarif, p.98) "The khirqa does for the aspirant what the qamis of Joseph
did for Jacob, upon them both peace" ('Awarif, p .100). "And it is related
that Abraham, the Friend, upon him peace, when he was thrown in the fire,
he was stripped of his garments, and he was thrown into it naked. Then
Gabriel, upon him peace, brought him a qamis made of the silk of paradise,
and he clothed him with it. And it remained with Abraham, upon him peace,
and when he died, he bequeathed it to Isaac, and when he died he
bequeathed it to Jacob. Jacob, upon him peace, protected the qamis by
putting it inside Joseph (fa-ja'alahu fi 'unqi Yusuf) so that it would not be
separated from him, and when he was cast into the well naked, Gabriel
came to him while it was thus protected and he drew forth the qamis from
him and clothed him with it." ('Awarif, p.100). "Joseph, upon him peace,
knew by God, exalted be He, . . . that one was the qamis of Abraham and he
related what we have related, he said: Gabriel was commanded to carry
your qamis, for in it is the scent of paradise, it is not placed on a sick one
except that he become healed and and healthy, thus does the khirqa
belonging to the sincere murid, bear the perfume (rih) of paradise." " In the
same way," says Suhrawardi, "the khirqa transmits the perfume ('arf) of
paradise to the aspirant." ('Awarif, p.101). It should be noted that the word
for perfume, 'arf, is a derivative of the same Arabic root from which the
words for knowledge, gnosis, and mystical insight also derive: 'irfan,
ma'rifa. The verb, 'arafa "to know", occurs in the very influential hadith
quoted by Bahá'u'lláh : "Who knows himself knows his Lord." Thus 'arif, "one
who knows" means mystic, gnostic, seeker, and knower. In the case of
Shi'ism, the immediate background here, this knowledge must be mediated
by the Imam, hidden or otherwise, who is the source of all ma'rifa. [6] In Shi'i works, reference is
often made to "the people of the cloak" (ahl al-kisa') who are specified as
Muhammad, 'Ali, Fatima, o-asan and o-usayn. [7]This designation is used by Shi'i writers,
whether Twelver or Isma'ili, to express the idea that Muhammad's special
qualities were transmitted to his progeny through contact with his
mantle. In the hadith literature, the qamis of Joseph is seen to fullfill the
function of bearing the charisma of prophecy. This qamis is of course the
quranic equivalent of the "robe with sleeves" mentioned in Genesis 37:3,
which Jacob had given to Joseph because of his great love for him. It was
this robe which provoked the jealousy of his brothers. Many of the
traditions which compare Joseph to the Qa'im are ascribed to Ja'far al--
adiq (d.765). The sixth Imam was asked about the shirt of Joseph and
responded, along the lines of the material quoted above, that when
Abraham was burning in the fire (Q. 21:68-69), Gabriel came down with
the shirt and clothed him with it so that he would not be harmed. Abraham
gave this shirt to Isaac, who gave it to Jacob. When Joseph was born,
Jacob gave the shirt to him. It was this shirt, originally sent from Heaven,
by which Jacob detected the scent of Joseph [cf.12:93]. The
distinctiveness of al-Sadiq's teaching comes with his response to the
question. al-Sadiq was asked what became of this shirt, to which he
responded that the shirt stayed with the descendants of Joseph and is now
in the possession of "our Qa'im" because all the prophets inherit
knowledge and other things from each other. [8]

In the article in Anwar on this word, Isfahani says only that its exoteric
meaning is well known, but that its ta'wil is connected with the words
thiyab and libas. The first word is defined as representing the knowledge
with which the Imams have been endowed, and by extension refers to
walaya proper. Walaya is the central doctrine in Shi'ism signifying at once
authority, guardianship, allegiance, devotion, faithfulness, love and
friendship. The second word carries a complex of meanings which
includes, together with the idea of garment, "deception". For the former,
Isfahani refers to several verses in the Qur'an, among which are 2:187,
where it is stated that spouses are as a garment to each other. For the
latter, he cites 2:42 in which those who disguise the truth with falsehood
are condemned. Ultimatley however, the word libas is seen as a symbol of
the walaya of the Imams. [9]

In his commentary on the Qasida al-lamiya, Sayyid Kazim Rashti takes the
opportunity to dilate on the implications of the word qamis which occurs
in one of its verses. The poet has compared the curtain (satr) of the tomb
of the Prophet with the qamis of Joseph, indicating that the spiritual
"fragrance" of the former is far greater than that of the latter. Rashti
says that however powerful the fragrance of the shirt of Joseph might
have been, it cannot compare with the much stronger power of the curtain
of the Prophet's mausoleum. Interestingly, the power of the shirt comes
from Joseph's having worn it, rather than from the heavenly origin of the
shirt. Jacob could detect its perfume from a great distance, because both
he and Joseph together formed an "aspect" of the "seal of the prophets".
Since Joseph's shirt acquired its "fragrance" (i.e. power) from physical
contact, the "fragrance" acquired from physical closeness to the Prophet's
tomb must be even stronger. Therefore, while it was the power of the
fragrance of the shirt of Joseph which caused Jacob's physical sight to be
restored, the perfume of this "shirt" (i.e., the satr of the tomb) is
incomparably stronger and will give spiritual sight to those who regard it
with the "eye of reality". [10]

In this sura, however, the Bab indicates that the qamis of Joseph
represents a power equivalent to the satr of the tomb of the Prophet. The
symbol of the shirt of Joseph is immediately associated with the BEES
mentioned in Qur'an 16 (surat al-nahl). Such an apparently incongruous and
abrupt association of the BEES with the SHIRT of Joseph is quite typical
of the Bab's method throughout this commentary. [11] The Bab seems to take the BEES out of thin
air. As will be seen, this air is actually the exceedingly rich atmosphere
of the Shi'i exegetical tradition.

The following references to this exegetic history are intended to
illustrate that while the concatenation of images, symbols and themes
which the Tafsir surat Yusuf appears quite "unprofessional", it
nevertheless has its roots in a tradition which goes back to the earliest
tafsir literature. As such, the implications and resonances of the Bab's
work would have been understood and felt by those young Shaykhis, as
well as many others, who first read the commentary.

The third century traditionist and commentator, Furat ibn Ibrahim al-Kufi,
whose Tafsir was recently published, was one of the earliest sources for
later compilers like Majlisi and Isfahani. [12] He is regarded as one of the most important
authorities for Shi'i tafsir and was one of the teachers of al-Qummi
(ca.307/919). The work contains several comments regarding the word and
the appropriate verses. The commentary on verse 16:68 quotes a
transmission from one Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl, who had asked Abu al-o-
asan (i.e. the tenth Imam, d. 254/868) about the verse. He said that the
BEES are the trustees (awsiya', i.e. the Imams). Concerning the phrase
TAKE FROM THE MOUNTAINS, HOUSES, he said that this refers to the
Quraysh, implying that the rightful due of the Shi'a is to be taken from the
so-called usurpers. The TREES are to be understood as "the suffering",
which has befallen the Shi'a and by which the Shi'a will be strengthened.
AND THAT WHICH THEY BUILD , refers to the clients of the Shi'a (al-
mawali), suggesting that Shi'ism was destined to be preserved beyond the
nation of the 'Arabs. FOLLOW THE WAY OF YOUR LORD means the way (sabil)
which "we are on in the religion of God (dinihi)". IN WHICH IS HEALING FOR
MANKIND refers to that WHICH COMES FORTH from the knowledge of 'Ali,
inasmuch as it is the HEALING which God also mentioned in the verse: A
HEALING FOR WHATEVER IS IN THE BREASTS [16:57]. [13] Whether or not one accepts the "orthodoxy"
of the above report (which is bound to strike certain segments of the Shi'i
population as "extremist") it seems that later Shi'i commentators and
compilers saw a certain amount of merit in it. [14] It is this fact which is important in the
present context. As mentioned above, the tafsir of Furat was used as a
source by consecutive generations of Shi'i exegetes; it is not, therefore,
necessary to make an exhaustive study of these. The essential point here
is that BEES are understood as representing the Imams and the DRINK
which they produce symbolizes the divine knowledge of which they are
trustees. That this exegetical tendency persisted as an important one in
connection with this verse up to and including the time of the Bab, may be
verified by referring to the appropriate literature. [15]

It is clear that Shaykh Ahmad subscribed to this reading of 16:68-9 from
his commentary on it, which is found in his Sharh al-ziyara. This
commentary is a good example of the way in which the Akhbari tafsir
tradition was used by al-Ahsa'i and his successors, in conjunction with
the philosophical developments which had occurred by his time, to present
the distinctive Shaykhi synthesis. Shaykh Ahmad repeats the
identification of the BEES with Imams and the DRINK with their
knowledge, and characteristically divides the latter into several grades
and levels. As mentioned, none of the "hierarchization" so characteristic
of the Bab's tafsir on al-Baqara, is found in his commentary on the sura of
Joseph. The Shaykhi influence on this work by the Bab is to be seen in the
manner in which the Bab takes for granted the very old Akhbari Qur'an
interpretations preserved by and elaborated on by Shaykh Ahmad or Sayyid
Kazim. Further, this influence is present only insofar as the general
tendency toward a total "imamization" of the Qur'an was a major feature
of that tradition. There is not a single khabar or hadith cited in the
commentary on the sura Joseph, except in the "meta" sense in which the
entire work is transmitted by Sayyid 'Ali Muhammad as a single hadith on
the authority of the hidden Imam. [16]

1) In the name of God the Merciful the
Compassionate.

While the use of the basmala as an introductory formula is perhaps the
least remarkable feature of this commentary, it will be of some interest
to notice a few aspects of the phrase which could have been read into it in
this context. The Bab and the whole tradition of Akhbari and mystical
tafsir make much of the basmala. [17] Early Qur'an commentators considered an
exegesis of the formula as part of their job. Several hadiths were adduced
to support the special significance of this phrase, the most frequent being
a variation of the following:

Sadiq said: The ba' [of the basmala] is the glory of God (baha' allah), the
sin, is the splendour of God (sana' allah), and the mim is the sovereignty of
God (mulk allah). Allah is the god of all things. al-Rahman pertains to
creation in general while al-Rahim specifically applies to the believers.[18]

The basmala is also considered a prayer in its own right, a source of
divine knowledge and healing. It is said to contain, in addition to all the
knowledge in the Qur'an itself, all the knowledge of the previous
scriptures. It has been seen as a means of salvation and protection.
Opinion has been divided as to whether the basmala, which heads all but
one suwar of the Qur'an, should be counted in the total number of verses,
but Shi'i scholars have tended to treat it as an independent verse. al-Sadiq
is also supposed to have said that the basmala is "the greatest verse in
the Book of God".[19] It has
also been identified as the "Greatest Name of God" (ism allah al-a'zam) [20]or as being "closer to the
Greatest Name than the pupil of the eye is to the white". [21] For these reasons it has
been counted as a separate verse of the chapters in the Bab's tafsir.[22]

Two other traditions, not mentioned by Ayoub in the article referred to
above, appear to have particular bearing on the Bab's veneration of the
basmala. The first has been mentioned as the one referred to by Browne in
his discussion of the Bab's claim to be a personification of the letter ba':
"All existing things have appeared from the ba' of the basmala." [23] The other is the famous
statement from 'Ali:

All that is in the world is in the Qur'an, and all that is in the Qur'an is
condensed in the Fatiha of the Book, and all that is in the Fatiha is in the
basmala, and all that is in the basmala is in the ba' and I am the point
under the ba'. [24]

The number nineteen, which has such significance in the the Babi religion,
is the number of letters in the basmala. The Bab instructed his first
followers to remain silent about his claims until a total of eighteen
persons had recognized his station of their own accord.[25] Each of these eighteen "letters of the
Living" (huruf al-hayy or hurufat al-hayy) and the Bab, represent
something like separate incarnations of one of the nineteen divine letters
of the formula, just as each of the Imams were said to represent one of
the twelve letters of the shahada. [26]

The huruf al-hayy are themselves regarded as identical with the sabiqun
referred to in the early works of the Bab and his followers, both in the
literal sense of their having preceded others in the recognition of the Bab
and in the more esoteric sense of their identity with the first group of
mankind to respond to God's pre-eternal covenant. This latter group is
itself identified in Shi'i literature with Muhammad and the Imams, and it
is clear that the Bab regarded the huruf al-hayy as the return of the
Prophet, the twelves Imams, the original four abwab, and Fatima. [27]

These first disciples formed the first "unity" (wahid) of the movement,
each successive "unity" of believers was to have also been composed of
nineteen members. [28] In
relation to the huruf al-hayy, the Bab occupied the rank of ba', which
according to Rashti is a "cloak" for the point. In his discussion of the
mysteries of the set of disconnected letters: kaf ha ya' 'ayn sad [19:1]
(which he here refers to as al-ism al-akbar), he also calls it the
"compriser of the two existents" (jami'at al-wujudayn): the 'ayn is
absolute existence, while the sad represents contingent existence (al-
wujud al-muqayyad). Thus it represents the station of complete
integration (maqam al-jam'). He then says that all of its "stations" are
condensed in the point, which is the maqam jam' al-jam'. "This point is the
one under the ba', which represents the hidden dimension of the ba', and
the ba' is its shell (qishr), exterior (zahir), and cloak ('aba)." [29] The Tafsir surat Yusuf is
quite explicit in several places in its direct reference to the Bab as the
"point", which in the context of tradition, automatically entails the ba'.

In relation to the eighteen huruf al-hayy, the Bab also occupied the rank of
the nuqta concealed by the "cloak" of the ba'. This is clear from such of his
titles as al-nuqtat al-ula, hadrat-i nuqta-yi bayan, and so forth.[30] This rank of nuqta, already
appropriated by the Bab in this early work, is a good indication that the
Bab actually claimed the equivalent of prophetic status at the time of its
composition, a status which later became more frequently denoted by the
term mazhar "manifestation". [31] However, the rank suggested by the word
nuqta appears to go quite beyond other definitions of nubuwa, being in fact
analogous with the divine unity and simplicity itself.

The Bab's calendar, constructed much later, of nineteen months of
nineteen days is another example of the function of the number "nineteen".
[32] The importance of the
number is also indicated by Rashti. In his discussion of the basmala, he
quotes the Prophet: "The letters are nineteen". Rashti says that this means
that all the letters of the alphabet are actually only nineteen, rejecting
the belief that there are twenty-eight. They appear to be twenty-eight,
according to Rashti, only because of their various states and stations. [33]

The number nineteen is also mentioned in Qur'an 74:27-30:

AND WHAT WILL TEACH THEE WHAT IS SAKAR? IT SPARES NOT, NEITHER
LEAVES ALONE SCORCHING THE FLESH; OVER IT ARE NINETEEN.

This verse was quoted by Rashti in his last testament ('ahd) and has been
understood as a prophecy of the eventual zuhur of the Bab and his first
followers.[34] It would serve
no useful purpose to survey the venerable and extremely intricate
tradition of the "science of letters" ('ilm al-huruf) in Muslim scholarship.
The interested reader should see the masterful and suggestive study of
Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i's letter interpretation by Juan Cole ("The World as
Text: Cosmologies of Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i," Studia Islamica 80
(1994):1-23, also available at http://www-
personal.uich.edu/~jrcole/ahsai2.htm). This article conveys the
assumptions and more importantly the mental and spiritual outlook of a
strong tradition in Islamic scholarship and letters which is one of the
more important keys to the Bab's Writings. Suffice it for the present to
quote Corbin, and mention a few of the more important works on this
subject:

2) GO, TAKE THIS SHIRT OF MINE AND DO THOU CAST IT ON MY
FATHERS FACE, AND HE SHALL RECOVER HIS SIGHT; THEN BRING ME YOUR
FAMILY ALTOGETHER. [12:93]

The first explanation of its appearance here as not only a verse to be
"commented upon", but as a verse of the Bab's surat al-nahl, is in keeping
with the basic structure of the work as described elsewhere. It appears
that by assigning an already existing quranic verse a new function, namely
as one of forty-two which make up the exegetic unit (or sura), the Bab
may be seen to claim a kind of authority which enables him to re-order
and revalorize the Quranic revelation. Such is even more apparent in the
following verses which paraphrase, without cue, whole passages of the
Quranic text. Many of these direct quotations from the Quran are presented
in capital letters, but there is much in the Bab's work that is originally
from the Quran, for example, the divine epithets, which I have not put in
caps. Indeed, the Quran ungirds, both lexically and notionally so much of
Islamicate culture that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish it . This is
one of the important lessons of the Qayyum al-asma. It remains for an
appropriate analog of Frye's The Great Code to be written. In any case,
such a manipulation of the basic elements of scripture would not have
been taken lightly by his Muslim audience. Moreover, and perhaps more
importantly, such manipulation cannot have been taken lightly by the Bab
either, who was unquestionably aware of the serious implications such an
act would have.

3) kaf ha' 'ayn = 20 + 5 + 70 (95).

Almost every chapter contains as its third verse a set of disconnected
mysterious letters. Precedent for counting it as a separate verse, is taken
from the Qur'an. Some of these sets of disconnected letters are quranic,
some are names, and others are neither. The manuscripts differ with
regard to some of these sets, as is the case here. F11, f.162b reads kaf
mim 'ayn with a fatha over each letter ( 20 + 40 + 70 =130). QA appears to
be either kaf ha' mim 'ayn or simply ka ha' 'ayn. In any case, it bears a
certain resemblance to the quranic kaf ha' 'ayn sad discussed by Rashti,
and may be meant to suggest it.

4) Indeed we REVEALED UNTO THE BEES, SAYING: 'TAKE FROM
THE MOUNTAINS, [16:68] citadels - the abode for affriming the sanctity of
God - the sign of this luminous one, AND OF TREES, [16:68] places for
affirming that there is no god but God (al-tahlil) the sign of this Easterner
AND OF WHAT THEY ARE BUILDING [16:68] in the path of affirming the unity
of God (al-tawhid) the threadbare garment of this Westerner belonging to
God, the High. And He is God, Witness over all things.

As mentioned earlier, most of the chapters of this commentary have a
reference to the act of revelation in their fourth verse. This chapter
follows the same pattern. But as we have seen, the word nahl also has
important meaning in Shi'i exegesis. In addition, there is also a semantic
and syntactical correlation between the the verse to be commented upon
and this one, namely the two imperatives "go with" or "take" (idhhabu)
[12:93] and "take" or "choose" (ittakhidhi). This parallel is continued in the
verse by the use of the three expressions al-barqi hadha, al-sharqi hadha,
and al-gharbi hadha, which may be seen as exegetic equivalences for
qamisi hadha [12:93]. The image of light here connected with "East" and
"West" is of course an echo of the Light Verse [24:35], which is similarly
alluded to several times in this chapter, as it is throughout the
commentary. The Bab's claim to be both Eastern and Western represents a
variation on the quranic NEITHER EASTERN OR WESTERN. "Citadels"
(qusuran) parallels the quranic buyut, as does the singular "abode" (al-
maskin). "This threadbare garment . . ." translates sahq al-gharbi hadha.
The other possible reading is suhq "remoteness". The epithet al-'ali (found
eight times in the Qur'an) in addition to continuing the rhyme, is
undoubtedly intended to suggest the Bab's name, 'Ali Muhammad and the
relationship/participation with that name and the name of 'Ali himself.
The shirt itself is not only a divine remnant (viz, baqiyat allah), but the
Bab as custodian of the symbol, is also the remnant by association. More
radically (and probably more accurately) the Bab, 'Ali Muhammad Shirazi,
is the qamis in the same way that the ba' was said by Sayyid Kazim Rashti
to be the cloak for the point. But these symbols, it cannot be emphasised
to strongly, are not univocal. They may and do mean several different
things at once. This is the source of their evocative and eventually
doctrinal (if you will) power. The command to TAKE MY SHIRT AND CAST IT
ON MY FATHER'S FACE is more fully explained in verse 40.

5) THEN EAT OF ALL MANNER OF [16:69] divine allusions (al-
isharat) MADE SMOOTH [16:69] in the path of the Remembrance, this Gate.
THERE COMES FORTH FROM THEIR BELLIES [12:69] the water of the elixir
which is one in terms of its blessings, although it is OF DIVERSE HUES
WHEREIN IS HEALING FOR [16:69] believers. Verily God is Powerful over all
things.

Having established this semantic relationship between the two verses, the
Bab merely extends the comparison by paraphrasing 16:69. Here, "divine
allusions" may be considered as a synonym for the 'ulum al-a'imma
"knowledge of the imams", which early exegesis saw as the meaning of the
quranic thamarat/ FRUITS. Here also, reference could be made to the
commentary on 16:69 by Shaykh Ahmad, who elaborated the signifcance of
"the sciences of the Imams" by explaining thamarat as the perfection, or
realization of those things which had been deposited in the Imams. [36] The Bab seems to be saying
that by the appearance of the "Remembrance" (himself), these various
divine teachings have become accessible (SMOOTH = dhululan) for the
faithful. "Path" (sabil) is merely a substitute for the quranic PATHS =
subul. As a singular noun, it emphasizes exclusivity.[37]

6) God is the creator of everything through His power. And
God, in very truth, is Apprised of everything which men do.

This verse takes as its cue the first part 12:70: wa allahu khalaqakum. The
second sentence of the verse introduces the very frequent phrase 'ala 'l-
haqq bi'l-haqq, which is translated here as "in very truth". This translation
is merely for convenience inasmuch as the meaning of the phrase, which
occurs hundreds of times throughout the commentary, is dependent upon
the various contexts in which it appears. It seems to be something of a
short rhythmic and multi-vocal refrain (reminiscent of dhikr formulae),
the function of which is to fill out the measure of a given verse. In many
instances, it is clear that 'ala al-haqq bi'l-haqq directly refers to God,
whereas in other cases it means that the Bab is "truly speaking the truth"
or some variation of this. Elsewhere, it connotes inevitability. The plural
verb ya'maluna, since it precedes the subject should technically be in the
singular, and reflects, perhaps, Persian grammatical norms.

7) O believers! Fear God concerning this most great word
protected in the divine fire. Indeed he is, in very truth , accounted by God
the High as a witness.

The vocative address is used in varying forms, as will be seen below. The
quranic ittaqu 'llaha, also frequently employed, shares the same root with
another important word in Shi'ism, namely taqiya or pious dissimulation
which became institutionalized because of Shi'ism's status as a minority
and frequently despised religion. The ungrammatical dhalika kalimat al-
akbar ("this is the most great Word") is quite characteristic of the
language of this commentary. Dhalika here bears the same ambiguity of
Qur'an 2:2: dhalika 'l-kitab, which is generally understood as "this is the
Book". However, it has been the subject of much debate by mufassirun,
because of its obvious meaning of "that is the Book". [38] Shi'i exegesis has also seen the
demonstrative as referring to the (presumably missing) "book of 'Ali". [39] This uncertainty is
reflected in recent English Qur'an translations: Arberry: THAT IS THE BOOK
. . .; Pickthall: THIS IS THE SCRIPTURE . [40] It may be that the Bab is exploiting this
ambiguity as a function of taqiya; alternatively, it could simply mean
"THIS". Kalimat al-akbar may be thought to allude to his station
specifically, in line with the previously mentioned hadith ascribed to al-
Sadiq: nahnu kalimat allah, or the one ascribed to 'Ali: ana al-kalimat al-
kubra which occurs in one of the many theopathic sermons ascribed to him.
The text of this particular sermon is found in the Kitab al-Kashf. In it 'Ali
declares from the pulpit: "I am the Christ who heals the blind and the
leprous, creating birds and dispersing clouds." Meaning [says the
commentator]: 'I am the second Christ (al-masih al-thani),- I am he and he
is I.' At this a man stood up and asked: "O Commander of the Faithful, was
the Torah written in a foreign language or in Arabic?" 'Ali said: "[In a]
foreign language, but its meaning is Arabic, namely that the Christ is the
Qa'im bi'l-haqq, and the king of this world and the next. The Qur'an itself
confirms this in the verse: PEACE BE UPON ME THE DAY I WAS BORN, AND
THE DAY THAT I DIE, AND THE DAY THAT I AM RAISED UP ALIVE [19:33] Thus
'Isa ibn Maryam is of me and I am of him, and he is the Most Great Word of
God (kalimat allah al-kubra) and he is the testifier and I am the one
testified to."[41]

The elative al-akbar is used elsewhere with masculine nouns, as in bab
allah al-akbar, where the Bab himself appears to be intended. Such
grammatical liberties are found, for example, in the Arabic translations
of the New Testament, namely, John 1:1: fi'l-bad' kana al-kalima wa'l-
kalima kana 'inda 'llah wa kana 'l-kalimatu allaha. They are explained by
the rule that a feminine noun may sometimes represent a masculine
subject, e.g. khalifatun, 'allamatun, and rawiyatun. [42] As can been seen in the reproduction of the
manuscript, the Bab was capable of maintaining grammatical gender
agreement. Here the phrase bi'l-haqq 'ala 'l-haqq refers to the veracity of
the Bab as the kalimat allah al-akbar and "witness/martyr" (shahid)
through God's incontrovertible will.

8) O people of the veils! Hearken to the call of God from the
tongue of the most great Remembrance: VERILY VERILY I AM GOD [28:30]
THERE IS NO GOD BUT HIM [passim]. Indeed, the likeness of the
Remembrance is as gold softened in fire which flows in rivulets to all the
hidden places by the will of God, the High. And he is God - Mighty,
Ancient.

The ahl al-hujub "People of the veils" may be taken as a general address to
all those who have been veiled from recognizing the Bab; or, given the
above equivalence hijab/bab, it may refer paradoxically to those who have
recognized the Bab. The exhortation to "heed the call", isma'u nida' or some
variation, is a frequent imperative in the commentary. In this instance,
the Bab refers to himself as "the most great Remembrance of God" (dhikr
allah al-akbar), which is also used many times in the work. "The Call" (al-
nida') is a major topic in Shi'i eschatology being classified as one of "the
five signs" announcing the appearance of the Mahdi. It is explained as
follows:

"The Cry" (al-sayha/al-nida'); it appears as though
there will actually be two "cries" of supernatural origin that will be heard
before the coming of the Mahdi. One cry will come from the sky, calling
men to defend the Cause of the imam, and the other will come from the
depths of the earth (sometimes this is seen as the voice of Iblis), inviting
people to join the ranks of the Enemy of the Imam; these cries will be
heard during the month of Ramadan. [43]

The quotation of Qur'an 28:30, VERILY, VERILY, I AM GOD (inni ana 'llah ) is
also frequent throughout the commentary. It suggests that the Bab is
claiming revelation by comparing his rank to that of Moses.[44] It is difficult to determine
whether it is meant to be read as the direct speech of God, the hidden
Imam, or the Bab. The result of the ambiguity, however, permits the Bab to
"participate" in the declaration. By referring to the "likeness of the
Remembrance", the Bab anticipates 16:74-6 in which the word
SIMILITUDES occurs. The SIMILITUDE which the Bab "strikes" is original,
and quite characteristic of his opulent imagery. "Gold softened" translates
al-dhahab al-ma'ila, and is dhahab al-muma' in F11, f.162b. "Flowing to all
the hidden places" translates sayyala ila kulli 'l-ghuyub and perhaps takes
its cue from 13:17, a verse in which God "strikes a similitude" which
employs the image of VALLEYS FLOWING ACCORDING TO THEIR MEASURE
(fa-salat awdiyatun bi-qadari-ha; n.b. also the root dh h b in this verse),
and THAT OVER WHICH THEY KINDLE FIRE ( wa mimma yuqiduna 'alayhi fi'l-
nar). The image continues the mention of sharab, BEVERAGE, in 16:69.
Ghuyub ("hidden places") is also seen as echoing the measure of the
quranic buyut (houses) in 16:68.

9) O people of the Throne! Hearken to my call from the
precincts of the tomb (al-darih) from the tongue of this Tree which grows
on the exalted SINAI, and which is covered with golden holy leaves: VERILY
VERILY I AM GOD, THERE IS NO GOD BUT HIM. There is no soul who has
suffered anything in the path of the Remembrance, whether through
warfare or loss of wealth, but that we have written down for him the
Gardens of Eden and Ridwan in truth. Verily God is Powerful over all
things.'

The ahl al-'arsh could have several implications, but the intention here
may be simply "people of the world". That the "call" is being sent out from
the "precincts of the tomb" (hawl al-darih), may be evidence that the Bab
wrote portions of this work during his pilgrimage, as MacEoin has
suggested. [45] "Tomb" may
also have a purely symbolic meaning. "The tongue of this Tree which grows
on the exalted MT. SINAI" translates lisan hadhihi al-shajara al-manbata
al-tur. Again, the reference is to the revelatory experience of Moses on
Sinai and may be seen to reflect the language of 23:20: wa shajaratan
takhruju min tur sayna' tanbutu bi'l-duhn wa sibghin li'l-akilin. In this
case, it is also possible to translate the Bab's words as "this Tree which
produces" leaving the objects "oil" and "relish" understood. Al-mutawarraq
bi'l-warqa' al-safra' al-mani' is distinctive imagery, which appears to
modify Tur (MT. SINAI).

10) Indeed, we have power to move the earth in this hour
[passim] by the order of the Remembrance, and could, in truth, hold it aloft
[cf. 35:41, 22:65] by means of the summons from his self. Otherwise, the
earth with its people would, in very truth burn completely (sakhina
maskhunan). And He is God, Powerful over all things.

This verse continues the "call" initiated in verse 8, the speaker is either
the hidden Imam or God; as has been explained, these two are functionally
the same in the basic theology expressed in the Tafsir surat al-baqara.
The phrase wa numsikuha 'ala 'l-haqq bi'l-du'a' min nafsihi offers another
example of the 'ala'l-haqq bi'l-haqq formula. "Burn completely" translates
sakhina maskhunan, which fills out the saj' rhyme used here and
throughout the work.

11) And verily GOD HAS PREFERRED SOME OF YOU OVER
OTHERS [16:71] with knowledge of the Remembrance. WHAT, AND DO YOU
DENY GOD'S BLESSING [16:71] by lying? Indeed he is the truth from God
which, in very truth,is now fulfilled. This verse continues the paraphrase
of sura 16. "Fulfilled" is the quranic mas'ulan [passim, cf. esp. 25:16:. . .
kana 'ala rabbika wa'dan mas'ulan, and 33:15: . . . wa kan 'ahdu 'llah
mas'ulan].

12) GOD HAS APPOINTED FOR YOU OF YOURSELVES WIVES
[16:72] in truth. And GOD HAS ORDAINED [16:72] that the women who are
believers be as leaves on the lote-trees in the precincts of the Gate. And
God is Knower of all things.

Wa inna 'llah qad ja'ala nisa' al-mu'minat (both manuscripts) might be
translated as "God has ordained women, that is believing women, . . .". The
paraphrase continues with the Bab's own imagery of leaves and trees
waraqat min al-shajara al-sidar. This usage was continued by Bahá'u'lláh,
who referred to the females of his family as leaves and the males as
branches (aghsan or afnan). [46]

13) O believers! Fear God and never say concerning the
glorious Mystery of God, the Unfastener, in the precincts of that which is
(forever) unfastened anything but the truth. For God has imposed upon the
people of the Cloud the veil of faithfulness. And God is Witness over all
things.

Sirr allah al-muhallil* hawl al-hall al-muhallal* (*---* portion is
missing from F11, f.163a) without shadda over al-hall. This is very
problematic. Both manuscripts provide dots under the ha' of al-muhallil,
and QA places a dot under al-hall. It might also be read al-jall/jull with
the meaning of "great" or "major portion"; al-jill could give the meaning of
"carpet" or "garment", the latter would of course extend the "textile"
metaphor of the qamis. It could also be read al-jul (perhaps for the
Persian gul); al-muhallil would also give the meaning of "lawgiver" or "one
who makes things right". Since there is no dot under al-muhallil, it was
thought that the other dots served the function suggested at verse 5. In
any case, the "Mystery of God" appears to refer to the Bab himself. The
phrase fa-inna allah qad a'hada (sic) 'ala ahl al-'ama satra al-wafa' ( F11,
f.163a: fa-inna allah qad ashhada . . . ) employs the frequent image of the
"cloud" discussed above. This seems to be an exhortation to taqiya.

14) O Solace of the Eye! Speak the melody of the beloved
from the Throne and clothe (uqmus) the words with the shirt (qamis) of
divine breezes. Indeed, God desires that your proclamation concerning this
Red Dove be not naked. And God is your Preserver.

Ya qurrata'l'ayn indicates that the Bab is now being addressed by the
hidden Imam. It should not be seen as referring to the famous disciple of
the Bab, the poetess, Tahireh.[47] The language is found in the Qur'an [19:26;
20:40; 25:74; 28:9 &13; 32:17; 33: 51], with the meaning of general
consolation or comfort. The epithet is also traceable to the hadith from
the Prophet in which he speaks of prayer as being the "consolation of my
eye" (qurrat 'ayni). [48] Its
frequent use in this work by the Bab, also undoubtedly refers to the
restoration of Jacob's sight by the qamis and the consolation of his heart
which came from reunion with Joseph. "Red Dove" (al-warqa' al-hamra') is
another title for the Bab. The exhortation to "clothe the words" refers to
the allusive nature of the commentary in general. The implication being
that those who have the capacity to understand the obscure language will
do so because of their spiritual readiness for the advent of the Imam.
Others will simply fail to appreciate its significance. This theme is found
also in a later work by Baha'ullah:

The purpose underlying all these symbolic terms and abstruse allusions,
which emanate from the revealers of God's holy cause, has been to test
and prove the peoples of the world; that thereby the earth of the pure and
illuminated hearts may be known from the perishable and barren soil. From
time immemorial such has been the way of God amidst His creatures. [49]

15) O concourse of lights! Hear my call from the precincts of
the point of water at the center of the dust! 'God!, there is no god but Him,
the Lord of all worlds.' And He is God, Mighty, Wise.

Min hawl nuqtat al-ma' 'ala markaz al-turab. Such phrases have been
discussed above, as describing the Bab's station as the point from which
proceeds antithetical terms. This is reminiscent of the distinctive
imamology of such pieces as the Khutbat al-tatanjiya, though the Bab's
imagery seems to be new.

16) Verily, verily I am the fire from the precincts of Tur,
and I speak the truth, and am praiseworthy.

This is another reference to the quranic description of Moses' experience
on Sinai. It would seem that God is continuing the address begun in verse
15, which was being transmitted through the "point of water at the center
of the dust" (i.e. the Bab). But it should be remembered that by thus being a
channel for revelation, the Bab is also touched by the "Fire", and is also in
this way the fire itself.

17) Verily, verily I am the light above Tur - raised.

The use of the predicate marfu'an, which technically refers to God as the
source of revelation, also alludes to the lineage of the Bab as a Sayyid, or
descendant of the family of Hashim. For example, describing a hadith as
marfu', indicates an authentic isnad which goes back to the Prophet. [50]

18) Verily, verily I am the reddened point which revolves
around God, its creator. And I am in truth beloved. According to the
hierarchies in the Tafsir surat al-baqara, red symbolizes corporeality.
This usage may be meant to allude to the embodiment of the hidden
Imam.

19) Verily, verily I am the sapling - the glory with the most
great truth, and am the goal (maqsud) at the head of (fawq) the source of
the ruby stream which flows upon Tur.

Ja'far al-Sadiq interpreted one of 'Ali's statements: "I have planted their
trees" (ana gharastu ashjaraha) as meaning that the Imams from his
progeny are the trees of repentance and the lote-tree beyond which there
is no passing.[51] Either from
this interpretation, or other similar ones, the word ghars seems to have
acquired a life of its own, as a symbol for the zuhur of the Qa'im, e.g.:

In the year ghars [i.e.1260] the earth shall be illumined by His light, and in
gharasa [1265] the world shall be suffused with its glory [?al-baha']. If
thou livest until the year gharasi [1270], thou shalt witness how the
nations, the rulers, the peoples, and the Faith of God shall all have been
renewed.[52] The
appositional wa inni ana al-ghars al-baha' is also conditioned by the
previously-mentioned exegesis of the basmala, where the ba' is seen to
stand for the divine attribute baha'. This is borne out in the following
verse.

20) Verily, verily I am the splendour - the praise; none but
the Praise itself, being single and unique, perceives the splendour.

In the two commentaries referred to above, as well as several others, the
sin of the basmala is interpreted as the sana' allah - the splendour of God.
The allusion to Sinai (sayna',sina' [23:20]) is obvious. Cf. also the "single
soul" passages in the Qur'an [4:1, 6:98, 7:189, 31:28, 39:6].

21) O people of the earth! Praised be God, the Truth! verily
God HAS MADE [16:72] the mystery of this Gate profound.

The use of the verb ja'ala need not, of course, be a reference to the Qur'an.
However, in light of the foregoing, it would appear that the Bab intends a
reference to 16:72 and a somewhat tenuous continuation of the paraphrase
begun in verse 3.

22) To describe him in Arabic he is comely - as is
witnessed.

This is a kind of enjambment with verse 21, aniqan rhyming with the
above 'amiqan. (Cf. also line 1 of the Khutbat al-tatanjiya.) It may be read
as a parenthesis, mashhudan "witnessed" referring to the sirr hadha 'l-bab
"the secret of this Gate" in the above verse. This is an allusion to the
proverbial physical beauty of Joseph, which the Bab is said to have shared.
[53]

23) Indeed, in these verses are SIMILITUDES [16:74] for
THOSE POSSESSED OF MINDS [passim], those who, in the precincts of the
Gate, are in very truth, prostrating.

Prostrating at the gate is taken from 7:161: ENTER THE GATE
PROSTRATING and also implies the "gate of forgiveness" [cf. hitta, 2:58]
and the "city of knowledge" hadiths, along with all those other less
immediate associations mentioned at length above.

24) What, do you worship [paraphrase of16:71] one BESIDE
GOD WHO POSSESSES [16:73] nothing, while sovereignty is God's (wa 'l-
mulk li-llah, [passim]), the High both before and after; in the mother of the
Book [passim], it is all written about the matter of the Gate.

The "mother of the Book" is the repository of God's pre-eternal decree;
that is, the Bab's mission has been ordained from before the beginning of
time. It is also a reference to the Fatiha, which is referred to by several
exegetes as the umm al-kitab, and thus continues the metaphor of the
basmala. Umm al-kitab may also refer to the Imam himself, as such it
becomes a symbol of the sirr or divine conscience mentioned in verse
12.[54] In short, umm al-
kitab designates the Imams as the source for understanding the Book.

25) SO STRIKE NOT ANY SIMILITUDES FOR GOD [16:74]. He is
the truth LIKE UNTO HIM THERE IS NAUGHT [42:11]. And He is God, Mighty,
Wise.

This is a direct quotation from sura16 and continues the paraphrase.

26) GOD HAS STRUCK A SIMILITUDE concerning TWO MEN, ONE
OF THEM [16:76] standing upon the divine cause (qa'im 'ala al-amr)
COMMANDING JUSTICE [16:75] and good deeds; and the other standing over
Hell, summoned by the Fire to the Fire. And both of these two are upon the
truth, if you confess even one letter of the book. AND YOUR LORD IS THE
MERCIFUL AND AWARE OF WHAT YOU DO [passim].

The thrust of the quranic verse, which means to distinguish between two
men, one being good, the other bad, is transformed by the Bab. The
implication appears to be that the two are actually one. As such, it may
also be an allusion to the themes and language of the Khutbat al-
tatanjiya.

27) Today God has written for his servant a reward - indeed!
- from a line of the leaf of the white scroll. God is Knower of all
things.

28) And [has written for] the servant who does well ('ala al-
'abd al-fa'il bi'l-istiwa',cf. 17:76) TWO GARDENS [18:32-3; 34:15-6; 55:54]
in a true line ('ala khatt al-istiwa') and for the bearer of the goblet of
water [He has written] a goblet of the pure river of Kawthar. And God is
Witness over all things.

This may also be an allusion to Joseph's "two fellow-prisoners" [12:36-
42], one of whom was to "pour wine for his lord" [12:41]. The other,
according to Joseph's interpretation of the dream, was to be crucified. The
khatt al-istiwa' occurs many times throughout this work. The dictionary
definition "equator" is helpful insofar as it connotes a dividing line which
"orders" (cf. istiwa' in the Qur'an passim). The Imam, in this sense, may be
regarded as the line between good and evil. The term figures in the Akhbar
of al-Hallaj, in which along with several other distinctive terms, the
editors detected "d'emprunts gnostique ismaelien", although they offer no
definition. [55]The term
figures prominently in Hurufi literature, where it refers primarily to the
(center) part in the hair, which had symbolic value: "Elle est la ligne
mediane regulatrice symbolisant ainsi l'harmonie, la justice, l'equite, la
verite, etc., . . .".[56] al-
Hallaj designated it the source of the alphabet [57] i.e., the alif.

29) And with GOD BELONGS THE UNSEEN [16:77]. All unseen
things are visible to the Truth. And God ordained ONLY THAT THE CAUSE
[16:77] of the Remembrance BE CLOSEST to the divine CAUSE [16:77]. And
He is God, Powerful over all things.

The language here substitutes the quranic hour (al-sa'a) with dhikr, one of
the titles of the Bab. This is in keeping with the hermeneutic equivalance
HOUR/ walaya.[58]Similarly,
cause may also represent the Imam.[59]

30) And we have BROUGHT YOU FORTH FROM THE WOMBS
[16:78] to aid the Truth during the day of the Remembrance. And we have
GIVEN YOU HEARING, AND SIGHT, AND HEARTS SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE
GRATEFUL FOR [16:78] the truth of the Remembrance concerning the
STRAIGHT BALANCE, straight.

HEARING, SIGHT, AND HEARTS have been interpreted as standing for
nubuwa, imama, and walaya, and while this interpretation need not be
primary here, it undoubtedly operates on some level. [60] Fi 'l-qistas al-qayyim mustaqiman is a
variant of 17:35 and 26:182, and perhaps a retroactive incorporation of
more material from 16:76, e.g.: huwa 'ala siratin mustaqimin.

31) And we have made THE BIRDS OBEDIENT IN THE AIR OF
HEAVEN [16:79]. Is there any but God who HOLDS THEM ALOFT [16:79] in
truth? Verily God is Witness over all things.

In addition to continuing the paraphrase, this verse also reflects the
image in verse 10 above.

32) O PLACE WHERE THE DAWN APPEARS [97:5]! Mention the
name of your Lord, He who there is no god but Him. He is High, Wise.

Ya matla' al-fajr obviously addresses the Bab; matla' is a synonym for
mazhar "manifestation," and in this connection alludes to a high spiritual
rank. According to Isfahani, "In the akhbar the ta'wil of fajr is the Qa'im,
and its appearance is qiyama, just as "morning" (subh) refers to the Imams
and the lights of their knowledge." [61]

33) O Hour of the dawn! Mention, BEFORE THE RISING OF THE
SUN [20:130, 50:39] from the place where the Gate appears, that the day
which belongs to God is CLOSER THAN A TWINKLING OF THE EYE [16:77]. And
the judgement has already been ordained in the Mother of the Book. [62]

Sa'at al-fajr does not occur in the Qur'an, but combines two quranic
words, and may be thought to combine the above-mentioned
interpretations of these words. It addresses the Bab. "Day" is an allusion
the same word in 16:80, the use of which would continue the paraphrase,
just as "sun" may be seen in connection with zilalan of 16:81. "Sun" has of
course other implications. It may stand for rasul, 'Ali, or "each Imam,
specifically the Qa'im".[63] It
is undoubtedly the last which is intended. The sense is that the Qa'im has
not yet fully arisen; that is, he has not yet been universally recognized.
Alternatively, it may allude to another individual as Qa'im. However, min
matla' al-bab seems to suggest otherwise.

34) O people of the earth! Listen to the call of this upright
soul in the air [16:79] of the cloud: 'Praised be God, He who has taught me
in this Gate the path of those who affirm divine unity, a just word. And
that is from the bounty of God to me. And He is Self-sufficient above all
the worlds.'

The speaker here is presented as the hidden Imam, who designates the Bab
as al-nafs al-qa'im. As such, it is a good example of the manipulation by
the author of such terminology to indicate his own claim to be the
"promised one". This device here as elsewhere, resembles the "qul" verses
of the Qur'an, enabling the Bab to speak on behalf of a higher authority
while at the same time participating in this authority. As mentioned
earlier, the variety of voices which speak throughout the commentary
should be thought of as representing separate aspects or "levels" of the
soul of the Bab, which for the purposes of rhetorical effect, are
separately emphasized in this or that passage. "Cloud" refers again to the
divine source of the Bab's message. In his commentary on al-Baqara, we
have seen that the Bab interpreted fadl "bounty" as the Qa'im.

35) O people of 'Arafat! Be firm in the precincts of the
straight one and listen to my call about this blood-stained shirt which has
been rent with 4,000 darts of the people of shirk from among my servants.
'Verily, verily I am the one slain at the two rivers. Verily, verily I am the
one slaughtered by the two swords, and verily, verily I have been flung
down (al-matruh) upon the two earths, and verily, verily I speak in the two
stations: "There is no god but God alone, there is no god but Him. {Exalted
is God, the High, He who there is no god but Him.}" And He is God, Mighty,
Wise.'

Verses 35-42 represent the fourth section of the chapter, which as
mentioned in the general description, returns to the aya of the Qur'an to be
commented upon. The reference to 'Arafat could be another indication that
the Bab wrote part of the work during his pilgrimage; it may also simply
refer to the holiness of 'Arafat itself. The Bab returns to the qamis
of12:93 and presents it as a symbol of martyrdom, so essential to Shi'i
religiosity.[64] He expands
the theme by alluding to Husayn, who was killed near the Euphrates. The
nahrayn of QA is nahrayn in F11, f.164a. The word matruh is a reference to
12:9: 'aw itrahuhu ardan, while the extended repetition of the dual is a
reflex of the language of the Khutbat al-tatanjiya. The portion between
brackets, {...}, is missing from F11.

35) O people of `Arafat! Be firm in the precincts of the
straight one and listen to my call concerning this blood-stained shirt that
has been rent with 4,000 darts of the people of unbelief from among my
servants. "Verily, verily I am the one slain at the two rivers. Verily, verily
I am the one slaughtered by the two swords, and verily, verily, I have been
flung down upon the two earths, and verily, verily, I speak in the two
stations: "There is no god but God alone, there is no god but Him. Exalted is
God, the Lofty, He other than whom there is no god." And He is God, Mighty,
Wise.

The question arises over the translations "I am the one slain at the two
rivers" (anaa al-maqtuul bi'n-naHrayn). Now, it is manifestly wrong to
translate naHrayn as "two rivers" as has been pointed out. naHr =
slaughter, and its use here is in the dual number and therefore means "two
slaughters" . It could also be shorthand for "the two days of slaughter". In
Shi'ism the slaughter must always refer to the killing of Husayn, the third
Imam, at Karbala. I chose to translate it as "nahrayn" = "two rivers" not
only because this is attested to in other mss. of QA (see forthcoming
commentary) but because the logic of the BAb's frequent use of the dual
number seemed to allow it. But I am not insisting upon this as the better
translation. Indeed "two slaughters" might be the correct one. I am
hesitant, however, to ascribe the reliability of this translation to the
mere fact that it reflects what is in what appears to be the oldest ms. of
QA. It is frequently the case that older mss. are not the most reliable. I
was quoted as having said that this particular ms. is the most reliable,
but actually I said the following in comparing two mss. of QA: "The older
of the two, and perhaps therefore the most reliable, was transcribed in
1861/1845 and differs from the later manuscript in many details."
[Lawson, Interp. as Rev, Oxford, 1988, p.243]

Much of the use of the dual number in the Bab's work is, I think, inspired
by such "gnostic" texts as the famous Khutbat al-tutunjiya/tatanjiya",
which begins with 'Ali saying "I am the one who reigns over the two
Gulfs". I chose rivers ultimately in this case because it represented
another "body of water" image, and in any case, it may be thought that
Husayn was slain "at the two rivers" (mesopotamia). Again, either
translation seems fine to me.

36) Verily God has INSPIRED [16:68] me in a single thread of
that SHIRT stained with pure blood with: 'Verily, verily I am God, He who
there is no god but Me.'

This continues the allusion to the beginning of sura 12, thus the blood is
pure, as opposed to the "false blood" of the wolf [12:18]. The Arabic is: al-
qamis al-muhammara bi'l-dam al-mutahhara. Thus, the verse could read:
"that pure bloodstained shirt". It is likely that both meanings are meant to
be suggested.

37) 'O people of Paradise! GO WITH MY SHIRT [12:93] - the
sign of this most great Remembrance - AND CAST IT ON THE FACE OF
[12:93] the Hujja, your Imam so that he might look to you through your
EYES, and that today, if God wills, your sight concerning this Gate which is
on the truth and with truth will be sharp.

The Arabic is: bi-qamisi aya hadha 'al-dhikr al-akbar. The speaker is the
hidden Imam. The variant "cast it on the face of your/my Imam" (F11,
f.164a: Imami; QA: Imamukum, complicates the reading. "Look to you
through your eyes" is an echo of the theme of "signs" discussed in the
study of al-Baqara, where the important point is that individuals have
been invested with ayat of the Imam or Prophet, without which they would
be unable to recognize their stations.

38) O Solace of the Eye! Say: 'Verily, verily I AM THE HOUR.
HOW IS IT THEN THAT YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT THE HOUR, IN VERY TRUTH, IS
NEAR ACCORDING TO THE MOTHER OF THE BOOK.

39) {O Solace of the Eye! Say:} 'Verily, verily I am the house
and am with the truth, established (marfu'an).

Verse 38 and 39 follow F11, f.164a. The underlined portion in verse 38 is
missing from QA which skips to verse 39. {---} in verse 39 is missing
from F11, 164a. The NEARNESS OF THE HOUr is found at Q.17:51. Bayt
refers both to the Kaaba and the "house" or family of the Prophet, viz. the
Imams and their walaya. [65]

40) And verily, verily (inni ana) I am the LAMP IN THE NICHE
[24:35] and am, through God the Truth upon the truth, shining
(mudi'an).

This is a combination of the above-mentioned theme of the revelatory
experience of Moses (signaled by inni ana), and that of the "light verse"
[24:35]. Misbah, according to Isfahani, refers to Hasan and Husayn, to the
rasul, and to the light of nubuwa and knowledge ('ilm), as well as to the
'ulama , and the shi'a.[66]
Mishkat is understood as representing Fatima (thus Hasan and Husayn are
misbah), and in another hadith from the eighth Imam Rida, we find the
statement: "nahnu al-mishkat in which the misbah of Muhammad shines."
Alternatively, the word is glossed as the "breast of muhammad" (sadr
Muhammad) "in which the light of knowledge, that is nubuwa, shines. [67] Here is another clue about
the frequent refrain al-haqq 'ala 'l-haqq, which would appear in this
instance to parallel the nur 'ala nurin LIGHT UPON LIGHT of 24:35. See also
the following verse, where the reference is made explicit.

41) And verily, verily I am the Fire in the LIGHT UPON LIGHT
[24:35] of SINAI in the land of felicity and am hidden in the precincts of
the Fire [cf. 20:10-11].

It is not really possible to examine the images of fire and light in any
detail.[68] The verse speaks
for itself, and is quite typical of other verses in the work.

42) O Solace of the Eye! Say to the believers of all the
people of the earth and the heavens: 'Come to me with your people who are
effaced completely by the permission of God, the High. 'Verily God desires
your reward in this Gate, upon the most great truth. And He is God, Knower
of all things.

Indeed, we REVEALED UNTO THE BEES, SAYING:
"TAKE FROM THE MOUNTAINS citadels-
which are the abode for affirming the sanctity of God-
the sign of this luminous one,
AND [from] TREES,
which are places for affirming that there is no god but God-
the sign of this Easterner
AND OF WHAT THEY ARE BUILDING in the path of
affirming the unity of God
the threadbare garment of this Westerner
which belongs to God, the Exalted.
And He is God, Witness over all things.

This verse improvises, if you will, upon the following Quranic verses:

AND IT IS GOD WHO SENDS DOWNOUT OF HEAVEN WATER, AND
THEREWITH REVIVES THE DEAD. SURELY IN THAT IS A SIGN FOR A PEOPLE
WHO HAVE EARS. 16:65

AND SURELY IN THE CATTLE THERE IS A LESSON FOR YOU; WE GIVE YOU TO
DRINK OF WHAT IS IN THEIR BELLIES, BETWEEN FILTH AND BLOOD, PURE
MILK SWEET TO DRINKERS. 16:66

AND OF FRUITS OF THE PALMS AND THE VINES, YOU TAKE THEREFROM AN
INTOXICANT AND A PROVISION FAIR. SURELY IN THAT IS A SIGN FOR A
PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND. 16:67

AND THY LORD REVEALED UNTO THE BEES, SAYING: "TAKE UNTO YOURSELVES,
OF THE MOUNTAINS, HOUSES, AND OF THE TREES, AND OF WHAT THEY ARE
BUILDING. 16:68

THEN EAT OF ALL MANNER OF FRUIT, AND FOLLOW THE WAYS OF YOUR LORD-
ESY TO GO UPON." THEN COMES FORTH OUT OF THEIR BELLIES A DRINK OF
DIVERS HUES WHEREIN IS HEALING FOR MEN. SURELY IN THAT IS A SIGN FOR
PEOPLE WHO REFLECT. 16:69

(Arberry translation)

The reader is being told to take/percieve the signs of this new revelation,
as the bees had been "inspired" (awhayna) to make hives and produce honey.
My apologies for the opaqueness of the translation.

"easterner" and "westerner" is a reference to the OLIVE THAT IS NEITHER
EASTERN NOR WESTERN of Quran 24:35. The Bab seems to be saying that
the new revelation is the same and that since it is neither eastern nor
western it may also be considered therefore BOTH eastern or western.

The apparently neutral refernce to God as "the Exalted" (al-'Ali) is
actually a reference to (1) himself, Ali Muhammad Shirazi, (2) Ali, the
first Imam and (3) God, perhaps, but not necessarily in that order --
perhaps in no order at all but rather a simultaneous reference to these
three.

[2] not God who POSSESSES nothing; rather it is the one
who is worshipped beside or instead of God who possesses nothing.

[3] "The Structure of Existence in the Bab's Tafsir and
the Perfect Man Motif" in Studia Iranica: Cahiers 11: Recurrent Patterns in
Iranian Religions from Mazdaism to Sufism. Proceedings of the Round
Table held in Bamberg (30th September - 4th October 1991). Association
pour l'avancement des Etudes iraniennes, 1992, pp.81-99. "The Terms
Remembrance (dhikr) and Gate (bab) in the Bab's Commentary on the Sura
of Joseph," Babi and Bahá'í Studies in Honour of H.M. Balyuzi, ed. M. Momen,
Kalimat Press, Los Angeles, 1989, pp.1-63. "Interpretation as Revelation:
The Qur'an Commentary of Sayyid 'Ali Muhammad Shirazi, the Bab,"
Approaches to the History of the Interpretation of the Qur'an, ed. A. Rippin.
Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1988, pp. 223-253.

[4] In the early exegetical work Kitab asas al-ta'wil,
(Introduction and edited by 'Arif Tamir. Beirut: Dar al-Thaqafa, 1960) by
the Isma'ili da'i, Qadi al-Nu'man (363/974), the interesting comment is
made to the effect that the "front" and "back" of the shirt refer to exoteric
and esoteric knowledge respectively ( p.144). (Cf. the early Sufi
interpretation in Gerhard Bowering, The Mystical Vision of Existence in
Classical Islam, Berlin & New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1980, p.256.)
The qamis in verse 12:93 is seen as representing imama (Asas, p.163).

[6] 'Umar Suhrawardi (632/1234), 'Awarif al-ma'arif,
Beirut: Dar al-kitab al-'arabi, 1403/1982 (this edition wrongly gives the
author as 'Abd al-Qahir Suhrawardi (d.1168) pp.95-102. The title of
Suhrawardi's book, "The Fragrances of divine knowledge(s)" is a perfect
example of the correlation between these two substances that was
perceived to really exist (language is sacred and reflects reality, indeed
composes reality) as opposed to being accidentally "punned" upon by clever
writers. See also the many examples in the Bahá'í writings where the two
are joined together, demonstrating that spiritual axiom: the more one
loves, the more one knows and vice versa. One of the few places (if not the
only one) in English where this identity of knowledge and love coexist in
the same lexical "site" is in the discredited "slang" word from African
American culture, towit: "to dig".

[9] Anwar (Abu al-Hasan al-Isfahani, Tafsir mir'at al-
anwar wa mishkat al-asrar, Tehran: n.p., 1374/1954), p.271.ibid.,
p.110.Ibid., pp. 294-5. In discussing the connotations of "deception"
which the word carries, Isfahani refers to 6:72 THOSE WHO DO NOT CLOTHE
THEIR FAITH IN DARKNESS, and says that this refers to those who did not
confuse the walaya with the walaya of "so-and-so and so-and-so". It
might be asked whether fulan wa fulan is an editorial substitution for
more derogatory appellations, such as Abu al-Dawahi and Abu al-Shurur
used so frequently by the Bab in his earlier tafsir on al-Baqara (see
Lawson, "Interpretation", p. 237).

[11] In some cases, however, several suras continue a
running commentary on large sections of the Qur'an; in these instances,
therefore, the introduction of what appears to be unlikely material in
commenting on this or that verse of sura 12, is but the continuation of a
theme begun much earlier in the work. This is not the case in the present
context.

[14] Cf. the tafsir of this verse by al-Sharif al-Radi,
Talkhis al-bayan fi majazat al-Qur'an wa'l-hadith, Cairo: Dar Ihya' al-
Kutub al-'Arabiyya, 1374/1955, p. 193. Here the other glosses the bees as
none other than the ulama themselves, symbolizing what may be called the
second historical phase of Shi'i scriptural exegesis.

[15] See Muhsin Fayd Kashani, al-Safi fi tafsir kalam
Allah al-wafi., n.p., 1286/1869., p.250 which quotes traditions with other
interpretations from al-Kafi, the Kitab al-khisal of Ibn Babawayh
(381/991), the Kitab majma' al-bayan of Tabarsi (548/1153), in addition
to the tradition in the Tafsir of al-Qummi ascribed to al-Sadiq: "We, by
God, are the BEES whom God inspired to TAKE HOUSES FROM THE
MOUNTAINS, that is to take a shi'a from the 'Arabs, and from THE TREES,
that is [to take a shi'a] from the Persians, and THAT WHICH THEY BUILD,
[means to take a shi'a] from among the mawali. and COMES FORTH FROM
THEIR BELLIES A DRINK OF DIVERSE HUES means the knowledge ('ilm) which
comes from us to you."al- Safi, also cites a similar hadith from the Tafsir
al-'Ayyashi, the author of which (d. early 4th/10th cent.) was a
contemporary of al-Qummi and had converted from Sunnism to Shi'ism, see
Ayoub, ""The Speaking Qur'an and the Silent Qur'an: A Study of the
Principles and Development of Imami Shi'i Tafsir ," p. 6. Later exegesis,
while including similar hadiths, also cites a tradition which specifies
that the inspiration intended here is ilham, as opposed to the wahi
explicitly stated in the text. This reflects theological disputes about the
nature and degrees of divine inspiration; one position being that wahi is a
technical term which can only be used as descriptive of the inspiration
which comes to a prophet. (Nur, v.3, pp.64-5 & Burhan, v.2, pp.375-6).
The predominant tendency of the interpretation of this verse was seen by
the author of Anwar to be the identification of the BEES with the Imams,
and the DRINK with their knowledge. See the respective articles in this
work on nahl (p.320) and sharab (pp.192-3). Cf. also the eighteenth century
Isma'ili tafsir (referred to above), p.126, where allusions to imama are
read into the verse.Shaykh Ahmad al-Ahsa'i, Sharh al-ziyara al-jami'a,
Tehran, 1276/1859, pp. 69-70. Rashti also mentions the Surat al-nahl in
his Qasida (pp.31-2), and says that al-nahl itself is another name for
divine knowledge (muntahal al-'ilm), and that one may find in the sura an
explanation of various states of the bees and the details of the blessings
which God bestowed upon his servant (i.e., Muhammad).

[17] An anecdote is told of how the Bab, while a
student of Shaykh 'Abid, and therefore still a young child, gave an
extemporaneous explanation of the basmala which greatly impressed his
teacher, who was himself a student of Shaykhi theology. Nabil, p. 75. On
the "wise child" motif in biographies of the Bab see Lambden, "An Episode
in the Childhood of the Bab".

[18] Burhan, v.1, pp.43-4, #1 from Qummi who gave six
separate isnads for this matn. In addition, Burhan lists six more variants.
Similar material is found in Nur and Safi. This hadith provides important
background for the the title Baha' allah, assumed by Mirza Husayn 'Ali Nuri,
the founder of the Bahá'í Faith.

[19] Mahmoud Ayoub, "The Prayer of Islam: A
Presentation of Surat al-Fatiha in Muslim Exegesis." Journal of the
American Academy of Religion, Thematic Issue: Studies in Qur'an and
Tafsir, v.47 (1979) pp. 639-42. The basmala is also treated as a separate
verse in the Ahmadi interlinear Qur'an: The Holy Qur'an, translated by
Maulawi Sher 'Ali, Rabwah, Pakistan, 1979.

[21] ibid., #21 and #23. This tradition was cited by
Rashti in his discussion of the Greatest Name (see Sayyid Kazim Rashti,
"Risala fi sharh wa tafsir ism allah al-a'zam," School of Oriental and
African Studies Library, Ar. 92308 (ff.271a-74a). It is suggested that
since aqrab min ("closer than"), as applicable to both time and place, it
might be construed as an allusion to the imminent appearance of an actual
Qa'im.

[22] The numbering of the verses of this work is not
always simple or straightforward; thus if the assumption here is correct,
it would facilitate the task somewhat, inasmuch as all chapters are said
to contain forty-two verses, the numerical equivalent to the Arabic word
bala "Yea verily" which was the response of humanity (in potentia) to the
question posed to them by God on the pre-eternal Day of the Covenant
recounted in Qur'an 7:172. ba' = 2 + lam = 30 + ya= 10 = 42. (Dr. Muhamad
Afnan, personal communication.) The work has elsewhere been described
as containing forty verses per sura (E.G. Browne, "Some Remarks on the
Babi Texts Edited by Baron Victor Rosen in Vols. I and VI of the
'Collections Scientifiques de l'Institut des Langues Orientales de Saint
Petersbourg'," Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, v.24 (1892) pp. 261-
62), representing the abjad value of the quranic li "to me" or, "before me"
(lam = 30 + ya' = 10). The prepositional phrase is an explicit allusion to
the dream of Joseph: FATHER, I SAW ELEVEN STARS, AND THE SUN AND THE
MOON: I SAW THEM BOWING DOWN BEFORE ME (li) [12:4] . Browne notes,
however, that several chapters of the British Library ms. (probably Or.
3539, another ms. of the work there is Or. 6681) are described in the ms.
itself as having forty-two verses (as is one chapter of ms. Cambridge
University Library, Browne Manuscript Collection, F11. ). In either case,
the number of verses are taken to be symbolic of either the acceptance or
assertion of spiritual authority (Browne, "Remarks," p.262). See chapters
1, 2, 52 and 95 in QA. Incidentally, there are many blank spaces at the
heading of the chapters in F11. It appears that the scribe intended to
insert rubrications in these blanks, which would carry such information as
the number of verses, and so on.

[28] On the identity and number of the first disciples
of the Bab, see Amanat (=Abbas Amanat, Resurrection and Renewal: the
Making of the Babi Movement, Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press,
1989) pp.177-9.

[31] Charismatic, p.174 where the author perceives a
gradual evolution of the nature of the Bab's claims, as opposed to one
claim which came to be expressed more and more openly (i.e., by the word
mazhar) as time went by. In fact, the Bab refers to himself in numerous
places in this early work as mazhar, e.g., QA, pp.113 (in the voice of the
hidden Imam) and QA, p.170: "Praised be to God who sent down this Book
with the truth upon his servant that he might be a mazhar in all the
worlds."

[32] The months of this calendar, still used by
Bahá'ís, take their names from key words found in a popular Shi'i prayer
which is recited during the month of Ramadan. (Mafatih al-jinan, pp.184-
6.) These key words appear to have no direct relationship with the letters
of the basmala.<

[34] Rafati (=Vahid Rafati, "The Development of
Shaykhi Thought in Shi'i Islam." Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, U.C.L.A., 1979,
available through University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan) p.175, see
p.160 for the description of a manuscript copy of this document in the
Near Eastern Collection of the UCLA Library.

[35] Corbin, Trilogie ismaelienne, Paris: Maisonneuve,
1961, p.30. The quotation is from Paul Kraus, Jabir ibn Hayyan, v.2, Cairo,
1942, p.263. Reference may also be made to Corbin, "Le Livre du Glorieux
de Jabir ibn Hayyan", Eranos-Jahrbuch, v.18 (1950), pp.75-87. See also
Mashariq, esp. pp.18-38. In addition, see Ibn 'Arabi, Futuhat, vol.1, pp.231-
361: "al-bab al-thani fi ma'rifa maratib al-huruf"; and the well-known
manual on magic by al-Buni (622/1225), Shams al-ma'arif al-kubra. Thus,
it is not necessary to ascribe to the Babi use of gematria, a Hurufi
influence. In fact, the most recent study of the Hurufi's refers to other
less superficial similarities, namely Fadil Allah's claim to be mahdi, the
combining of teachings of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and antipathy
for both the mainstream of Shi'ism and Sufism. (Goelpinlari, Hurufilik
metinleri katalogu, p.20. Thanks to Mr. R. Sezer for translating the
appropriate passage for me; thanks also to Dr. A. Karamustafa for drawing
my attention to this book.)

[37] A variation in the manuscripts occurs at "which
is one in terms of its blessings". QA: mutawahhidan ala'ihi [=ala'uhu] (for
mutawajjidan; the dot seems to be a designation for the ha', see below,
v.13. The alternate reading would be "causing its blessings to exist"); F11,
f.162b: mutawaqqidan: "causing the blessings to flame forth".

[40] See also the discussion on this point in the
translation by Maulvi Muhammad Ali (see bibliography), p.12 who cites
Lane to suggest that the usage dhalika, in implying remoteness, indicates
esteem.

[43] Amir-Moezzi, The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism,:
The Sources of Esotericism in Islam, translated by David Streight, Albany,
N.Y.: SUNY Press, 1994, p.118. The other four signs are: the revolt of the
Sufyani, the counter-revolt of the Yemeni, the assassination of the Pure
Soul, "the swallowing up of the army". On the historical development of
this tradition, see Wilferd Madelung, "'Abd Allah b. Zubayr and the Mahdi,"
Journal of Near Estern Studies, 40.4 (1981) 291-305.

[44] The voice from the burning bush is also a classic
argument in Sufi literature to justify revelation through tajalli of various
kinds, not necessarily "revelation" of a prophetic Book. See al-Kashani's
letter to Simnani, in Hermann Landolt, "Der Briefweschel zwischen Kasani
und Simnani uber Wahdat al-Wugud," Der Islam 50 (1973) p.72 and the
several references to Sufi and Shi'i literature pp.72-3, n.125.

[52] Ascribed to Mirza Muhammad Akhbari
(1178/1764-1232/1816, on whom see Amanat, pp.25-8), translated in
Nabil, pp.49-50 (see also the reference here to the predictions of none
other than Ibn 'Arabi about the rise of the mahdi in Persia). I have not
located the original for this hadith.

[53] Mentioned above, Part ii, Chapter 1; see also
Nabil, p.27 and the hadith quoted by Rashti (Qasida, p.69): The Prophet said:
"God created husn in a hundred parts and gave Joseph ninety-nine."

[54] For the Fatiha as umm al-kitab see Anwar, pp.
80-1. N.b. also the hadith cited in ibid., p.80, from 'Ali: "The family of
Muhammad is the umm al-kitab and its seal (khatimatuhu)."

[67] The usage here may also be derived from some
ziyarat dedicated to 'Ali, in which the phrase: ya' mishkat al-diya'" occurs.
Anwar, pp. 205-6.

[68] Of some interest here is the point made by the
Bab elsewhere. The images of fire (nar) and light (nur) represent
respectively, those who either accept or reject his claim. The numerical
difference between the two (nar = 251; nur = 256) is represented by the
numerical value of bab. Thus through recognition of the Bab, "fire" is
transformed into "light". (Amanat, p.203).

[69] Similar terminology was noticed above in the
work of Rashti. Cf. also Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions, p.143.